Patients

Welcome Message

It is our pleasure to introduce childhood interstitial and diffuse lung diseases, which are the focus of this installment of “Lung Disease Week at the ATS.” This program allows us to highlight a diverse group of rare diseases, including inherited surfactant protein defects, neuroendocrine hyperplasia of infancy, pulmonary interstitial glycogenosis, bronchiolitis obliterans, cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, alveolar capillary dysplasia, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and others.

Our knowledge about childhood interstitial and diffuse lung diseases (chILD) has advanced rapidly, spurred by a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded chILD conference grant and the Rare Lung Disease Research consortia that fostered successful collaborations among patients, clinicians, and investigators. By partnering with chILD Foundation, chILD Research Network (chILDRN) sites have made remarkable progress in defining and classifying these disorders, and we now better understand their genetics, pathophysiology, and clinical presentations. Patients are now being enrolled in a chILD web-based database at chILDRN sites from around the country with expert review by pediatric clinician specialists, radiologists, and pathologists to create a well phenotyped national database for research and future clinical trials. These efforts mark an acceleration of focus and provide hope to families that their children will have newer, more effective treatments and, potentially, cures will someday be found.

The American Thoracic Society and the chILD Foundation in North America and affiliate chILD Foundations around the world have long advocated for greater federal and local support for research, education, and development of new resources to aid children and their families. To promote these efforts, these organizations have created 4 new awards to support research in chILD. These efforts have been extraordinary for a young foundation and demonstrate both the ATS and chILD Foundation’s commitment to cutting edge research.

We welcome “Childhood Interstitial Lung Diseases Week at the ATS” and our partnership in this awareness campaign applauding its focus on childhood interstitial and diffuse lung diseases (chILD). We look forward to sharing information that will help guide families, advance research, and support clinicians and allied health professionals in their efforts to cure these conditions.

The mission of the chILD Foundation is to accelerate research to cure all forms of Children’s Interstitial and Diffuse Lung Disease (chILD) and to provide compassionate support, education, and hope to children and families affected by these life-altering diseases.

Disclaimer: "The ATS Lung Disease Week Web site is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for personal medical attention, a diagnosis from a physician, or direct medical care. If you are concerned about your health or that of a family member, please consult your family's healthcare provider immediately. Do not wait for a response from our members, staff or partners."

The American Thoracic Society improves global health by advancing research, patient care, and public health in pulmonary disease, critical illness, and sleep disorders. Founded in 1905 to combat TB, the ATS has grown to tackle asthma, COPD, lung cancer, sepsis, acute respiratory distress, and sleep apnea, among other diseases.